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Articles 31 - 60 of 167

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Spider - Vi. The Central Dark Matter Content Of Luminous Early-Type Galaxies: Benchmark Correlations With Mass, Structural Parameters And Environment, C. Tortora, F. La Barbera, N. R. Napolitano, R. R. De Carvalho, Aaron J. Romanowsky Jan 2012

Spider - Vi. The Central Dark Matter Content Of Luminous Early-Type Galaxies: Benchmark Correlations With Mass, Structural Parameters And Environment, C. Tortora, F. La Barbera, N. R. Napolitano, R. R. De Carvalho, Aaron J. Romanowsky

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We analyze the central dark-matter (DM) content of \sim 4,500 massive (M* \gsim 10^{10} Msun), low-redshift (z<0.1), early-type galaxies (ETGs), with high-quality ugrizYJHK photometry and optical spectroscopy from SDSS and UKIDSS. We estimate the "central" fraction of DM within the K-band effective radius, \Re, using spherically symmetric isotropic galaxy models. We discuss the role of systematics. The main results of the present work are the following: (1) DM fractions increase systematically with both structural parameters and mass proxies, as in previous studies, and decrease with central stellar density. 2) All correlations involving DM fractions are caused by two fundamental ones with galaxy effective radius and central velocity dispersion. These correlations are independent of each other, so that ETGs populate a central-DM plane (DMP), i.e. a correlation among fraction of total-to-stellar mass, effective radius, and velocity dispersion, whose scatter along the total-to-stellar mass axis amounts to \sim 0.15 dex. (3) In general, under the assumption of an isothermal or a constant M/L profile for the total mass distribution, a Chabrier IMF is favoured with respect to a bottom-heavier Salpeter IMF, as the latter produces negative (i.e. unphysical) DM fractions for more than 50% of the galaxies in our sample. For a Chabrier IMF, the DM estimates agree with \LambdaCDM toy-galaxy models based on contracted DM-halo density profiles. We also find agreement with predictions from hydrodynamical simulations. (4) The central DM content of ETGs does not depend significantly on the environment where galaxies reside, with group and field ETGs having similar DM trends.


The Ongoing Assembly Of A Central Cluster Galaxy: Phase-Space Substructures In The Halo Of M87, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, J. P. Brodie, C. Mihos, L. R. Spitler, D. A. Forbes, C. Foster, J. A. Arnold Jan 2012

The Ongoing Assembly Of A Central Cluster Galaxy: Phase-Space Substructures In The Halo Of M87, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, J. P. Brodie, C. Mihos, L. R. Spitler, D. A. Forbes, C. Foster, J. A. Arnold

Aaron J. Romanowsky

The halos of galaxies preserve unique records of their formation histories. We carry out the first combined observational and theoretical study of phase-space halo substructure in an early-type galaxy: M87, the central galaxy in the Virgo cluster. We analyze an unprecedented wide-field, high-precision photometric and spectroscopic data set for 488 globular clusters (GCs), which includes new, large-radius Subaru/Suprime-Cam and Keck/DEIMOS observations. We find signatures of two substructures in position-velocity phase space. One is a small, cold stream associated with a known stellar filament in the outer halo; the other is a large shell-like pattern in the inner halo that implies …


Dwarfs Gobbling Dwarfs: A Stellar Tidal Stream Around Ngc 4449 And Hierarchical Galaxy Formation On Small Scales, D. Mart´Inez-Delgado, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. J. Gabany, F. Annibali, J. A. Arnold, J. Fliri, S. Zibetti, R. P. Van Der Marel, H. W. Rix, T. S. Chonis, J. A. Carballo-Bello, A. Aloisi, A. V. Macci`O, J. Gallego-Laborda, J. P. Brodie, M. R. Merrifield Jan 2012

Dwarfs Gobbling Dwarfs: A Stellar Tidal Stream Around Ngc 4449 And Hierarchical Galaxy Formation On Small Scales, D. Mart´Inez-Delgado, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. J. Gabany, F. Annibali, J. A. Arnold, J. Fliri, S. Zibetti, R. P. Van Der Marel, H. W. Rix, T. S. Chonis, J. A. Carballo-Bello, A. Aloisi, A. V. Macci`O, J. Gallego-Laborda, J. P. Brodie, M. R. Merrifield

Aaron J. Romanowsky

A candidate diffuse stellar substructure was previously reported in the halo of the nearby dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4449 by Karachentsev et al. We map and analyze this feature using a unique combination of deep integrated-light images from the BlackBird 0.5 m telescope, and high-resolution wide-field images from the 8 m Subaru Telescope, which resolve the nebulosity into a stream of red giant branch stars, and confirm its physical association with NGC 4449. The properties of the stream imply a massive dwarf spheroidal progenitor, which after complete disruption will deposit an amount of stellar mass that is comparable to the …


Kinematic Properties Of The Field Elliptical Ngc 7507, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, L. P. Bassino, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth Jan 2012

Kinematic Properties Of The Field Elliptical Ngc 7507, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, L. P. Bassino, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth

Aaron J. Romanowsky

The dark matter (DM) halos of field elliptical galaxies have not been well-studied and their properties appear controversial in the literature. While some galaxies appear to be nearly devoid of DM, others show clear evidence of its presence. Furthermore, modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND), which has been found to have predictive power in the domain of disk galaxies, has not yet been investigated for isolated elliptical galaxies. We study the kinematics of the isolated elliptical NGC 7507, which has been claimed as a clear example of DM presence in early-type galaxies. We obtained major and minor axis long-slit spectroscopy of NGC …


The Sluggs Survey: Globular Cluster System Kinematics And Substructure In Ngc 4365, C. Blom, D. A. Forbes, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader Jan 2012

The Sluggs Survey: Globular Cluster System Kinematics And Substructure In Ngc 4365, C. Blom, D. A. Forbes, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We present a kinematic analysis of the globular cluster (GC) system of the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4365 and find several distinct kinematic substructures. This analysis is carried out using radial velocities for 269 GCs, obtained with the DEIMOS (DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) instrument on the Keck II telescope as part of the SAGES Legacy Unifying Globulars and Galaxies Survey (SLUGGS). We find that each of the three (formerly identified) GC colour subpopulations reveal distinct rotation properties. The rotation of the green GC subpopulation is consistent with the bulk of NGC 4365's stellar light, which ‘rolls’ about the photometric major …


Testing Yukawa-Like Potentials From F(R)-Gravity In Elliptical Galaxies, N. R. Napolitano, S. Capozziello, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. Capaccioli, C. Tortora Jan 2012

Testing Yukawa-Like Potentials From F(R)-Gravity In Elliptical Galaxies, N. R. Napolitano, S. Capozziello, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. Capaccioli, C. Tortora

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We present the first analysis of extended stellar kinematics of elliptical galaxies where a Yukawa-like correction to the Newtonian gravitational potential derived from f(R)-gravity is considered as an alternative to dark matter. In this framework, we model long-slit data and planetary nebula data out to 7 R eff of three galaxies with either decreasing or flat dispersion profiles. We use the corrected Newtonian potential in a dispersion-kurtosis Jeans analysis to account for the mass-anisotropy degeneracy. We find that these modified potentials are able to fit nicely all three elliptical galaxies and the anisotropy distribution is consistent with that estimated if …


The Sluggs Survey: Calcium Triplet-Based Spectroscopic Metallicites For Over 900 Globular Clusters, C. Usher, D. A. Forbes, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster, L. R. Spitler, J. A. Arnold, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, V. Pota Jan 2012

The Sluggs Survey: Calcium Triplet-Based Spectroscopic Metallicites For Over 900 Globular Clusters, C. Usher, D. A. Forbes, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster, L. R. Spitler, J. A. Arnold, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, V. Pota

Aaron J. Romanowsky

Although the colour distribution of globular clusters in massive galaxies is well known to be bimodal, the spectroscopic metallicity distribution has been measured in only a few galaxies. After redefining the calcium triplet index–metallicity relation, we use our relation to derive the metallicity of 903 globular clusters in 11 early-type galaxies. This is the largest sample of spectroscopic globular cluster metallicities yet assembled. We compare these metallicities with those derived from Lick indices finding good agreement. In six of the eight galaxies with sufficient numbers of high-quality spectra we find bimodality in the spectroscopic metallicity distribution. Our results imply that …


The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1316 - Ii. The Extraordinary Object Sh2, T. Richtler, B. Kumar, L. Bassino, B. Dirsch, Aaron J. Romanowsky Jan 2012

The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1316 - Ii. The Extraordinary Object Sh2, T. Richtler, B. Kumar, L. Bassino, B. Dirsch, Aaron J. Romanowsky

Aaron J. Romanowsky

Context. SH2 has been described as an isolated HII-region, located about 6.5′ south of the nucleus of NGC 1316 (Fornax A), a merger remnant in the the outskirts of the Fornax cluster of galaxies. Aims. We give a first, preliminary description of the stellar content and environment of this remarkable object. Methods. We used photometric data in the Washington system and HST photometry from the Hubble Legacy Archive for a morphological description and preliminary aperture photometry. Low-resolution spectroscopy provides radial velocities of the brightest star cluster in SH2 and a nearby intermediate-age cluster. Results. SH2 is not a normal HII-region, …


Evidence For Inhomogeneous Reionization In The Local Universe From Metal-Poor Globular Cluster Systems, L. R. Spitler, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Diemand, J. Strader, D. A. Forbes, B. Moore, J. P. Brodie Jan 2012

Evidence For Inhomogeneous Reionization In The Local Universe From Metal-Poor Globular Cluster Systems, L. R. Spitler, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Diemand, J. Strader, D. A. Forbes, B. Moore, J. P. Brodie

Aaron J. Romanowsky

Exploiting a fundamental characteristic of galaxy assembly in the Λ cold dark matter paradigm, the observed spatial biasing and kinematics of metal-poor globular star clusters are used to constrain the local reionization epoch around individual galaxies. Selecting three galaxies located in different environments, the first attempt at constraining the environmental propagation of reionization in the local Universe is carried out. The joint constraint from the three galaxies (Graphic) agrees remarkably well with the latest Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe constraint on zreion for a simple instantaneous reionization model. More importantly, the range of zreion values found here is consistent with the …


Radially Extended Kinematics In The S0 Galaxy Ngc 2768 From Planetary Nebulae, Globular Clusters And Starlight, D. A. Forbes, A. Cortesi, V. Pota, C. Foster, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. R. Merrifield, J. P. Strader, L. Coccato, N. Napolitano Jan 2012

Radially Extended Kinematics In The S0 Galaxy Ngc 2768 From Planetary Nebulae, Globular Clusters And Starlight, D. A. Forbes, A. Cortesi, V. Pota, C. Foster, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. R. Merrifield, J. P. Strader, L. Coccato, N. Napolitano

Aaron J. Romanowsky

There are only a few tracers available to probe the kinematics of individual early-type galaxies beyond one effective radius. Here we directly compare a sample of planetary nebulae (PNe), globular clusters (GCs) and galaxy starlight velocities out to approximately four effective radii, in the S0 galaxy NGC 2768. Using a bulge-to-disc decomposition of a K-band image we assign PNe and starlight to either the disc or the bulge. We show that the bulge PNe and bulge starlight follow the same radial density distribution as the red subpopulation of GCs, whereas the disc PNe and disc starlight are distinct components. We …


Angular Momentum And Galaxy Formation Revisited, Aaron J. Romanowsky, S. M. Fall Jan 2012

Angular Momentum And Galaxy Formation Revisited, Aaron J. Romanowsky, S. M. Fall

Aaron J. Romanowsky

Motivated by a new wave of kinematical tracers in the outer regions of early-type galaxies (ellipticals and lenticulars), we re-examine the role of angular momentum in galaxies of all types. We present new methods for quantifying the specific angular momentum j, focusing mainly on the more challenging case of early-type galaxies, in order to derive firm empirical relations between stellar j sstarf and mass M sstarf (thus extending earlier work by Fall). We carry out detailed analyses of eight galaxies with kinematical data extending as far out as 10 effective radii, and find that data at two effective radii are …


Elements Of Proximal Formative Assessment In Learners’ Discourse About Energy, Benedikt W. Harrer, Rachel E. Scherr, Michael C. Wittmann, Hunter G. Close, Brian W. Frank Jan 2012

Elements Of Proximal Formative Assessment In Learners’ Discourse About Energy, Benedikt W. Harrer, Rachel E. Scherr, Michael C. Wittmann, Hunter G. Close, Brian W. Frank

Benedikt W. Harrer

Proximal formative assessment, the just-in-time elicitation of students' ideas that informs ongoing instruction, is usually associated with the instructor in a formal classroom setting. However, the elicitation, assessment, and subsequent instruction that characterize proximal formative assessment are also seen in discourse among peers. We present a case in which secondary teachers in a professional development course at SPU are discussing energy flow in refrigerators. In this episode, a peer is invited to share her thinking (elicitation). Her idea that refrigerators move heat from a relatively cold compartment to a hotter environment is inappropriately judged as incorrect (assessment). The "instruction" (peer …


Silica As A Matrix For Encapsulating Proteins:Surface Effects On Protein Structure Assessed By Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy, Daryl K. Eggers, P. J. Calabretta, M. C. Chancellor, C. Torres, G. R. Abel Jr., C. Neihaus, N. J. Birtwhistle, N. M. Khouderchah, G. H. Zemede Jan 2012

Silica As A Matrix For Encapsulating Proteins:Surface Effects On Protein Structure Assessed By Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy, Daryl K. Eggers, P. J. Calabretta, M. C. Chancellor, C. Torres, G. R. Abel Jr., C. Neihaus, N. J. Birtwhistle, N. M. Khouderchah, G. H. Zemede

Daryl K. Eggers

The encapsulation of biomolecules in solid materials that retain the native properties of the molecule is a desired feature for the development of biosensors and biocatalysts. In the current study, protein entrapment in silica-based materials is explored using the sol-gel technique. This work surveys the effects of silica confinement on the structure of several model polypeptides, including apomyoglobin, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, polyglutamine, polylysine, and type I antifreeze protein. Changes in the secondary structure of each protein following encapsulation are monitored by circular dichroism spectroscopy. In many cases, silica confinement reduces the fraction of properly-folded protein relative to solution, but addition …


Identification Of Influential Social Networkers, Magdalini Eirinaki, S. P. Singh Monga, S. Sundaram Jan 2012

Identification Of Influential Social Networkers, Magdalini Eirinaki, S. P. Singh Monga, S. Sundaram

Magdalini Eirinaki

Online social networking is deeply interleaved in today's lifestyle. People come together and build communities to share thoughts, offer suggestions, exchange information, ideas, and opinions. Moreover, social networks often serve as platforms for information dissemination and product placement or promotion through viral marketing. The success rate in this type of marketing could be increased by targeting specific individuals, called 'influential users', having the largest possible reach within an online community. In this paper, we present a method aiming at identifying the influential users within an online social networking application. We introduce ProfileRank, a metric that uses popularity and activity characteristics …


Chemical Activity In Yba2cu3o7 − Δ Across The Normal To Superconducting Phase Transition, Juana Vivó Acrivos Nov 2011

Chemical Activity In Yba2cu3o7 − Δ Across The Normal To Superconducting Phase Transition, Juana Vivó Acrivos

Juana Vivó Acrivos

The Gibbs free enthalpy, chemical activity across the transition temperature to superconductivity, Tc in YBa2Cu3O7 − δ is obtained from reciprocally enhanced X-Ray absorbance, XAS and diffraction, XRD data near the Ba L3,2 edges' energy Ea, and orientations in the X-ray beam for preferred Miller indexed [HKL] planes' scattering, that are enhanced near Tc. The standard enthalpy and entropy for the formation of mixed normal metal/superconducting domains above Tc, determined individually across the two Ba L3,2 edges, to better than a percent accuracy: ΔH≠≥ = − 220 meV, and ΔS≠≥ = − 2 meV/K when 121 ≥ T ≥ 92 …


Speciation, Luminescence, And Alkaline Fluorescence Quenching Of 4-(2-Methylbutyl)Aminodipicolinic Acid (H2mebadpa), Gilles Muller, A. J. Ingram, A. G. Dunpal, R. Dipietro Jan 2011

Speciation, Luminescence, And Alkaline Fluorescence Quenching Of 4-(2-Methylbutyl)Aminodipicolinic Acid (H2mebadpa), Gilles Muller, A. J. Ingram, A. G. Dunpal, R. Dipietro

Gilles Muller

4-(2-Methylbutyl)aminodipicolinic acid (H2MEBADPA) has been synthesized and fully characterized in terms of aqueous phase protonation constants (pKa's) and photophysical measurements. The pKa's were determined by spectrophotometric titrations, utilizing a fully sealed titration system. Photophysical measurements consisted of room temperature fluorescence and frozen solution phosphorescence as well as quantum yield determinations at various pH, which showed that only fully deprotonated MEBADPA2– is appreciably emissive. The fluorescence of MEBADPA2– has been determined to be quenched by hydroxide and methoxide anions, most likely through base-catalyzed excited-state tautomerism or proton transfer. This quenching phenomenon has been quantitatively explored through steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. …


Stellar Mass-To-Light Ratio Gradients In Galaxies: Correlations With Mass, C. Tortora, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Ph. Jetzer, V. F. Cardone, M. Capaccioli Jan 2011

Stellar Mass-To-Light Ratio Gradients In Galaxies: Correlations With Mass, C. Tortora, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Ph. Jetzer, V. F. Cardone, M. Capaccioli

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We analyse the stellar mass-to-light ratio (M/L) gradients in a large sample of local galaxies taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, spanning a wide range of stellar masses and morphological types. As suggested by the well-known relationship between M/L values and colours, we show that M/L gradients are strongly correlated with colour gradients, which we trace to the effects of age variations. Stellar M/L gradients generally follow patterns of variation with stellar mass and galaxy type that were previously found for colour and metallicity gradients. In late-type galaxies M/L gradients are negative, steepening with increasing mass. In early-type galaxies …


Wide-Field Precision Kinematics Of The M87 Globular Cluster System, J. Strader, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, L. R. Spitler, M. A. Beasley, Jacob A. Arnold, N. Tamura, R. M. Sharples, N. Arimoto Jan 2011

Wide-Field Precision Kinematics Of The M87 Globular Cluster System, J. Strader, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, L. R. Spitler, M. A. Beasley, Jacob A. Arnold, N. Tamura, R. M. Sharples, N. Arimoto

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We present the most extensive combined photometric and spectroscopic study to date of the enormous globular cluster (GC) system around M87, the central giant elliptical galaxy in the nearby Virgo Cluster. Using observations from DEIMOS and the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer at Keck, and Hectospec on the Multiple Mirror Telescope, we derive new, precise radial velocities for 451 GCs around M87, with projected radii from ~5 to 185 kpc. We combine these measurements with literature data for a total sample of 737 objects, which we use for a re-examination of the kinematics of the GC system of M87. The velocities …


The Dark Halo Of He Hydra I Galaxy Cluster: Core, Cusp, Cosmological? Dynamics Of Ngc 3311 And Its Globular Cluster System, T. Richtler, R. Salinas, I. Misgeld, M. Hilker, G.K. T. Hau, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth, M. Spolaor Jan 2011

The Dark Halo Of He Hydra I Galaxy Cluster: Core, Cusp, Cosmological? Dynamics Of Ngc 3311 And Its Globular Cluster System, T. Richtler, R. Salinas, I. Misgeld, M. Hilker, G.K. T. Hau, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth, M. Spolaor

Aaron J. Romanowsky

Context. Some galaxy clusters exhibit shallow or even cored dark matter density profiles in their central regions rather than the predicted steep or cuspy profiles, conflicting with the standard understanding of dark matter. NGC 3311 is the central cD galaxy of the Hydra I cluster (Abell 1060). Aims. We use globular clusters around NGC 3311, combined with kinematical data of the galaxy itself, to investigate the dark matter distribution in the central region of Hydra I. Methods. Radial velocities of 118 bright globular clusters, based on VLT/VIMOS mask spectroscopy, are used to calculate velocity dispersions which are well defined out …


Evidence For Two Phases Of Galaxy Formation From Radial Trends In The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1407, D. A. Forbes, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster Jan 2011

Evidence For Two Phases Of Galaxy Formation From Radial Trends In The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1407, D. A. Forbes, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster

Aaron J. Romanowsky

Here we present the colours of individual globular clusters (GCs) around the massive elliptical galaxy NGC 1407 out to a projected galactocentric radius of 140 kpc or 17 galaxy effective radii (Re). Such data are a proxy for the halo metallicity. We find steep, and similar, metallicity gradients of ∼−0.4 dex dex−1 for both the blue (metal poor) and red (metal rich) GC subpopulations within 5–8.5 Re (40–70 kpc). At larger radii the mean GC colours (metallicity) are constant. A similar behaviour is seen in a wide-field study of M87's GC system, and in our own Galaxy. We interpret these …


Diffusive Transport Enhanced By Thermal Velocity Fluctuations, Alejandro Garcia, Aleksandar Donev, Anton De La Fuente, John B. Bell Jan 2011

Diffusive Transport Enhanced By Thermal Velocity Fluctuations, Alejandro Garcia, Aleksandar Donev, Anton De La Fuente, John B. Bell

Alejandro Garcia

We study the contribution of advection by thermal velocity fluctuations to the effective diffusion coefficient in a mixture of two identical fluids. We find good agreement between a simple fluctuating hydrodynamics theory and particle and finite-volume simulations. The enhancement of the diffusive transport depends on the system size L and grows as ln⁡(L/L0) in quasi-two-dimensional systems, while in three dimensions it scales as L0-1-L-1, where L0 is a reference length. Our results demonstrate that fluctuations play an important role in the hydrodynamics of small-scale systems.


An Extremely Luminous Panchromatic Outburst From The Nucleus Of A Distant Galaxy, A. J. Levan, N. R. Tanvir, S. B. Cenko, D. A. Perley, K. Wiersema, J. S. Bloom, A. S. Fruchter, A. De Urgarte Postigo, P. T. Butler, A. J. Van Der Horst, G. Leloudas, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, M. Modjaz, J. M. Silverman, J. Hjorth, C. Thone, A. Cucchiara, J. M. Castro-Ceron, A. J. Castro-Tirado, J. A. Arnold, M. Bremer, J. P. Brodie, T. Carroll, M. C. Cooper, P. A. Curran, R. M. Cutri, J. Ehle, D. Forbes, J. Fynbo, J. Gorosabel, J. Graham, D. I. Hoffman, S. Guziy, P. Jakobsson, A. Kamble, T. Kerr, M. M. Kasliwal, C. Kouveliotou, D. Kocevski, N. M. Law, P. E. Nugent, E. O. Ofek, D. Poznanski, R. M. Quimby, E. Rol, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. Sanchez-Ramirez, S. Schulze, N. Singh, L. Van Spaandonk, R.L.C. Starling, R. G. Strom, J. C. Tello, O. Vaduvescu, P. J. Wheatley, J. M. Winters, R.A.M.J. Wijers, D. Xu Jan 2011

An Extremely Luminous Panchromatic Outburst From The Nucleus Of A Distant Galaxy, A. J. Levan, N. R. Tanvir, S. B. Cenko, D. A. Perley, K. Wiersema, J. S. Bloom, A. S. Fruchter, A. De Urgarte Postigo, P. T. Butler, A. J. Van Der Horst, G. Leloudas, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, M. Modjaz, J. M. Silverman, J. Hjorth, C. Thone, A. Cucchiara, J. M. Castro-Ceron, A. J. Castro-Tirado, J. A. Arnold, M. Bremer, J. P. Brodie, T. Carroll, M. C. Cooper, P. A. Curran, R. M. Cutri, J. Ehle, D. Forbes, J. Fynbo, J. Gorosabel, J. Graham, D. I. Hoffman, S. Guziy, P. Jakobsson, A. Kamble, T. Kerr, M. M. Kasliwal, C. Kouveliotou, D. Kocevski, N. M. Law, P. E. Nugent, E. O. Ofek, D. Poznanski, R. M. Quimby, E. Rol, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. Sanchez-Ramirez, S. Schulze, N. Singh, L. Van Spaandonk, R.L.C. Starling, R. G. Strom, J. C. Tello, O. Vaduvescu, P. J. Wheatley, J. M. Winters, R.A.M.J. Wijers, D. Xu

Aaron J. Romanowsky

Variable x-ray and γ-ray emission is characteristic of the most extreme physical processes in the universe. We present multiwavelength observations of a unique γ-ray–selected transient detected by the Swift satellite, accompanied by bright emission across the electromagnetic spectrum, and whose properties are unlike any previously observed source. We pinpoint the event to the center of a small, star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.3534. Its high-energy emission has lasted much longer than any γ-ray burst, whereas its peak luminosity was ∼100 times higher than bright active galactic nuclei. The association of the outburst with the center of its host galaxy …


Galaxies In Cdm With Halo Abundance Matching: Luminosity-Velocity Relation, Baryonic Mass-Velocity Relation, Velocity Function, And Clustering, S. Trujillo-Gomez, A. Klypin, J. Primack, Aaron J. Romanowsky Jan 2011

Galaxies In Cdm With Halo Abundance Matching: Luminosity-Velocity Relation, Baryonic Mass-Velocity Relation, Velocity Function, And Clustering, S. Trujillo-Gomez, A. Klypin, J. Primack, Aaron J. Romanowsky

Aaron J. Romanowsky

It has long been regarded as difficult if not impossible for a cosmological model to account simultaneously for the galaxy luminosity, mass, and velocity distributions. We revisit this issue using a modern compilation of observational data along with the best available large-scale cosmological simulation of dark matter (DM). We find that the standard cosmological model, used in conjunction with halo abundance matching (HAM) and simple dynamical corrections, fits—at least on average—all basic statistics of galaxies with circular velocities V circ > 80 km s–1 calculated at a radius of ~10 kpc. Our primary observational constraint is the luminosity-velocity (LV) relation—which generalizes …


Crazy Heart: Kinematics Of The “Star Pile” In Abell 545, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, M. J. West, Aaron J. Romanowsky, E. Llyod-Davies, Y. Schuberth Jan 2011

Crazy Heart: Kinematics Of The “Star Pile” In Abell 545, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, M. J. West, Aaron J. Romanowsky, E. Llyod-Davies, Y. Schuberth

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We study the structure and internal kinematics of the “star pile” in Abell 545 – a low surface brightness structure lying in the center of the cluster. We have obtained deep long-slit spectroscopy of the star pile using VLT/FORS2 and Gemini/GMOS, which is analyzed in conjunction with deep multiband CFHT/MEGACAM imaging. As presented in a previous study the star pile has a flat luminosity profile and its color is consistent with the outer parts of elliptical galaxies. Its velocity map is irregular, with parts being seemingly associated with an embedded nucleus, and others which have significant velocity offsets to the …


Unravelling The Origins Of S0 Galaxies Using Maximum Likelihood Analysis Of Planetary Nebulae Kinematics, A. Cortesi, M. R. Merrifield, M. Arnaboldi, O. Gerhard, I. Martinez-Valpuesta, K. Saha, L. Coccato, S. Bamford, N. R. Napolitano, N. G. Douglas, Aaron J. Romanowsky, K. Kuijken, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman Jan 2011

Unravelling The Origins Of S0 Galaxies Using Maximum Likelihood Analysis Of Planetary Nebulae Kinematics, A. Cortesi, M. R. Merrifield, M. Arnaboldi, O. Gerhard, I. Martinez-Valpuesta, K. Saha, L. Coccato, S. Bamford, N. R. Napolitano, N. G. Douglas, Aaron J. Romanowsky, K. Kuijken, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman

Aaron J. Romanowsky

To investigate the origins of S0 galaxies, we present a new method of analysing their stellar kinematics from discrete tracers such as planetary nebulae. This method involves binning the data in the radial direction so as to extract the most general possible non-parametric kinematic profiles, and using a maximum-likelihood fit within each bin in order to make full use of the information in the discrete kinematic tracers. Both disc and spheroid kinematic components are fitted, with a two-dimensional decomposition of imaging data used to attribute to each tracer a probability of membership in the separate components. Likelihood clipping also allows …


Global Properties Of ‘Ordinary’ Early-Type Galaxies: Photometry And Spectroscopy Of Stars And Globular Clusters In Ngc 4494, C. Foster, L. R. Spitler, Aaron J. Romanowsky, D. A. Forbes, V. Pota, K. Bekki, J. Strader, R. N. Proctor, J. A. Arnold, J. P. Brodie Jan 2011

Global Properties Of ‘Ordinary’ Early-Type Galaxies: Photometry And Spectroscopy Of Stars And Globular Clusters In Ngc 4494, C. Foster, L. R. Spitler, Aaron J. Romanowsky, D. A. Forbes, V. Pota, K. Bekki, J. Strader, R. N. Proctor, J. A. Arnold, J. P. Brodie

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We present a comprehensive analysis of the spatial, kinematic and chemical properties of stars and globular clusters (GCs) in the ‘ordinary’ elliptical galaxy NGC 4494 using data from the Keck and Subaru telescopes. We derive galaxy surface brightness and colour profiles out to large galactocentric radii. We compare the latter to metallicities derived using the near-infrared Calcium Triplet. We obtain stellar kinematics out to ∼3.5 effective radii. The latter appear flattened or elongated beyond ∼1.8 effective radii in contrast to the relatively round photometric isophotes. In fact, NGC 4494 may be a flattened galaxy, possibly even an S0, seen at …


Star Clusters In M31: Old Clusters With Bar Kinematics, H. Morrison, N. Caldwell, R. P. Schiavon, E. Athanassoula, Aaron J. Romanowsky, P. Harding Jan 2011

Star Clusters In M31: Old Clusters With Bar Kinematics, H. Morrison, N. Caldwell, R. P. Schiavon, E. Athanassoula, Aaron J. Romanowsky, P. Harding

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We analyze our accurate kinematical data for the old clusters in the inner regions of M31. These velocities are based on high signal-to-noise Hectospec data. The data are well suited for analysis of M31's inner regions because we took particular care to correct for contamination by unresolved field stars from the disk and bulge in the fibers. The metal-poor clusters show kinematics that are compatible with a pressure-supported spheroid. The kinematics of metal-rich clusters, however, argue for a disk population. In particular the innermost region (inside 2 kpc) shows the kinematics of the x 2 family of bar periodic orbits, …


The Pn.S Elliptical Galaxy Survey: A Standard Cdm Halo Around Ngc 4374?, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. Capaccioli, N. G. Douglas, M. Arnaboldi, L. Coccato, O. Gerhard, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, S. P. Bamford, A. Cortesi, P. Das, K. C. Freeman Jan 2011

The Pn.S Elliptical Galaxy Survey: A Standard Cdm Halo Around Ngc 4374?, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. Capaccioli, N. G. Douglas, M. Arnaboldi, L. Coccato, O. Gerhard, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, S. P. Bamford, A. Cortesi, P. Das, K. C. Freeman

Aaron J. Romanowsky

As part of our current programme to test ΛCDM predictions for dark matter (DM) haloes using extended kinematical observations of early-type galaxies, we present a dynamical analysis of the bright elliptical galaxy NGC 4374 (M84) based on ∼450 planetary nebulae (PNe) velocities from the PN.Spectrograph, along with extended long-slit stellar kinematics. This is the first such analysis of a galaxy from our survey with a radially constant velocity dispersion profile. We find that the spatial and kinematical distributions of the PNe agree with the field stars in the region of overlap. The velocity kurtosis is consistent with zero at almost …


The Relationships Among Compact Stellar Systems: A Fresh View Of Ultra Compact Dwarfs, J. P. Brodie, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, D. A. Forbes Jan 2011

The Relationships Among Compact Stellar Systems: A Fresh View Of Ultra Compact Dwarfs, J. P. Brodie, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, D. A. Forbes

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We use a combined imaging and spectroscopic survey of the nearby central cluster galaxy, M87, to assemble a sample of 34 confirmed ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs) with half-light radii of gsim10 pc measured from Hubble Space Telescope images. This doubles the existing sample in M87, making it the largest such sample for any galaxy, while extending the detection of UCDs to unprecedentedly low luminosities (MV = –9). With this expanded sample, we find no correlation between size and luminosity, in contrast to previous suggestions, and no general correlation between size and galactocentric distance. We explore the relationships between UCDs, less luminous …


The Fossil Record Of Two-Phase Galaxy Assembly: Kinematics And Metallicities In The Nearest S0 Galaxy, J, A, Arnold, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, L. Chomiuk, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, A. J. Benson, D. A. Forbes Jan 2011

The Fossil Record Of Two-Phase Galaxy Assembly: Kinematics And Metallicities In The Nearest S0 Galaxy, J, A, Arnold, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, L. Chomiuk, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, A. J. Benson, D. A. Forbes

Aaron J. Romanowsky

We present a global analysis of kinematics and metallicity in the nearest S0 galaxy, NGC 3115, along with implications for its assembly history. The data include high-quality wide-field imaging from Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope, and multi-slit spectra of the field stars and globular clusters (GCs) obtained using Keck-DEIMOS/LRIS and Magellan-IMACS. Within two effective radii, the bulge (as traced by the stars and metal-rich GCs) is flattened and rotates rapidly (v/σ gsim 1.5). At larger radii, the rotation declines dramatically to v/σ ~ 0.7, but remains well aligned with the inner regions. The radial decrease in characteristic metallicity of both …